Cbn Officials Told To Give Irs Agents Records By April 6

March 21, 1989|By DOUGLAS ASHLEY Staff Writer

NORFOLK — Two top officials with CBN University have until April 6 to either hand over records that tax investigators say they are withholding or file an affidavit certifying that they cannot find the records being sought.

U.S. Magistrate Tommy Miller issued that order Monday after a hearing in which the attorney for Bob G. Slosser, CBN University president, and Herbert W. Titus, dean of the university's law school, said the two men were being unfairly accused.

"If we had it, if we found it, we would produce it," said attorney David J. Curtin of Washington. Curtin said he would file affidavits with the court certifying his clients' inability to locate the records being sought.

Curtin argued Monday that his clients already had handed over more than 19,000 documents, including most of those the IRS says are being withheld, and that they had filed affidavits certifying they didn't have the others. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Anita K. Henry said the affidavits already filed by Slosser and Titus were worded vaguely.

The Internal Revenue Ser vice has filed papers in U.S. District Court alleging that Slosser and Titus have withheld records demanded by IRS agents as part of their investigation of The Freedom Council.

Slosser and Titus have served on the Freedom Council's board of directors.

Critics have claimed that the non-profit Freedom Council was a front for GOP candidate Pat Robertson's presidential campaign last year and helped organize backers in the Michigan caucuses.

The council was organized by Robertson with a stated purpose of educating Christians on how to become involved in politics.

As a non-profit group, The Freedom Council, and a successor group known as the National Freedom Institute, were barred from major involvement in partisan political activity. Partisan activity could negate their tax-exempt status.